Political Posters

The “All Of Us Or None” (AOUON) archive project was started by Free Speech Movement activist Michael Rossman in 1977 to gather and document posters of modern progressive movements in the United States. Though some early works are included, its focus is on the domestic political poster renaissance that began in 1965 and continues to this day. When Rossman died May 12, 2008 his family donated the collection to the Oakland Museum of California. More …

The Archive gathered posters from all streams of progressive activity — from movements of protest, liberation, and affirmative action, trade union and community struggles, to electoral and environmental organizing, community services, and visionary manifestos. It is strongest in work from the San Francisco Bay Area, but its scope is national: approximately one-quarter of its holdings come from out of state, primarily New York City, Boston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. These are complemented by a representation of international work. The collection consists of approximately 24,500 distinct titles.

The collection includes examples from well-known graphic artists including Malaquías Montoya, Emory Douglas, Rachael Romero, Rupert Garcia, Yolanda Lopez, Favianna Rodriguez, Carlos Cortez, Nancy Hom, Juan Fuentes, and Jos Sances, as well as material from seminal collective workshops such as La Raza Silkscreen, the Royal Chicano Air Force, Japantown Art and Media, Kearny Street Workshop, and Inkworks Press. Perhaps more important, the depth and breadth of the collection reveals the contribution of numerous lesser known or even anonymous artists whose cumulative impact on this democratic public art form has yet to be properly understood.

The cataloging of the AOUON Archive was made possible by a generous grant from the Stephen M. Silberstein Foundation.

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Vote McGovern John Whitemore ~ artist, Pete Kettle ~ artist 1972 Poster has a red and blue border around the edge. In the center is a drawing of McGovern in a blue suit holding a United States Flag with a white peace symbol in the blue field. Behind him is...	Festival of Films from China John Dugger ~ artist 1971 Poster has a yellow background with a red sun in the upper right corner. On the left is a red area intersected by a black bar across the center. In the black bar is a white figure repeated. The...
Photo Exhibition: On China's Achievements in Socialist Construction. John Dugger ~ artist 1971 Poster has a red background with white text and colored drawing in the center. The drawing is of an Asian man in a blue jumpsuit and tool belt sitting on a beam high above a city. There are two...	Vote for sanctions: No apologies for apartheid John Barraclough ~ artist, Red Wedge ~ printer ~ publisher 1987 Poster has a black background with a black and white hand print in the lower right. The left edge has "Vote For Sanctions" printed in pink and blue. The bottom edge has "No Apologies for Apartheid...
Repeal the draft Jellyroll Press ~ printer, Joe Carey ~ photographer 1969 Poster with a light pink background and an image of trees at the bottom that fades to show a helicopter in the upper left corner. In the center is a large turqouise and pink badge symbol with...	untitled (man eating his own body) Jim Gulyás ~ artist, The Bindweed Press, San Francisco ~ publisher 1968 Poster has a background of light yellow with orange and red paisley type print. In the center is a nude man sitting on a round cushion with a white oval behind him. His hair is standing straight...
World Solidarity Day Thursday May 25, 1972: Support the Struggle for Freedom in Southern Africa Jim Dyson ~ artist 1972 Poster has a black and white drawing of several hands grasping each other. One hand is holding a machine gun, another hand is holding medicine bottles. There is a map of Africa showing Rhodesia...	Benefit for Revolutionary Communist Party Jim Dong ~ artist 1979 Poster has a drawing in the center that has a yellow background with a red outlined man reaching forward with a red book. On the book is the title Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung. In front...
Angel Island: An exhibition of the Chinese experience at the immigration station Jim Dong ~ artist 1976 Poster has a black background with white specks. In the center is a yellow and white pained window. Silhouetted against the window is the head of a young boy wearing a suit and yellow bow-tie. The...	Angel Island 1923 Jim Dong ~ artist 1981 Poster has a drawing of a room with a wooden table and two benches with three green lights above. The wall and floor around are in shades of blue. The left side of the table has an Asian man...
Citizens for a Yes on Proposition "P" Present Jim Blashfield ~ artist 1967 Poster has a thin pink border around the edge. In the center is a blue and green figure with a pink, yellow and turqouise United States flag, bombs, and a face with a peace symbol. The top edge...	The Commune's Fish Pond (Export Version) Jia Zhenyi ~ artist, Xian New China Printing Company ~ print shop 1974 The poster has a white border. Poster has a drawing of people in blue overalls and colorful shirts pulling in a net full of fish. At left seven Asian men and women are knee deep in a pond pulling...
The Commune's Fish Pond (Chinese Version) Jia Zhenyi ~ artist, Xian New China Printing Company ~ print shop 1974 The poster has a white border. Poster has a drawing of people in blue overalls and colorful shirts pulling in a net full of fish. At left seven Asian men and women are knee deep in a pond pulling...	Malcolm X born: May 19, 1925: Ho Chi Minh born May 19, 1890 John Jernegan ~ artist circa 1980 Poster has a black and white drawing of Malcolm X in profile on the left and a black and white drawing of Ho Chi Minh on the right. The background behind the two drawings is yellow that fades to...
Dia De Los Muertos 2003 : Long live free Palestine Jesus Barraza ~ artist 2003 Poster has a red and black pyramid in the center with a blue background. In front of the pyramid is a skull wearing a Palestinian headdress. The top has "Dia De Los Muertos 2003" in white. The...	Locks in freshness and flavor Jerry Berman ~ artist 1971 Poster has a light grey background with a man in the center. The man is wearing a white suit, has grey hair and is holding a small baggy of marijuana. Above the bag is "Locks in Freshness and...
Join us : Berkeley Independence Day Frank Cieciorka ~ artist, Gary Grimshaw ~ artist, Jellyroll Press ~ printer 1969 Poster has a light blue background. The top portion has an image of man in a light blue shirt with purple vest standing next to a soldier in a green uniform. Between the two men is "Join Us"...	Ecology Benefit Poetry Reading Jellyroll Press ~ printer, Thomas Morris ~ artist c. 1975 Poster has a light blue background that fades to a light yellow. Along the bottom is the silhouette of a grey grass. The top has orange lettering that reads, "Ecology Benefit Poetry Reading...
West Coast Sky Scapes Jellyroll Press ~ printer c. 1970 Poster has green hills along the bottom edge. Above is a rainbow sky with clouds in vertical stripes. The sky fades from pink to orange to blue. The green hill area has yellow text that reads, "...	The Learning Place: a free junior high school in San Francisco Jellyroll Press ~ printer c. 1970 Poster has a black and white photograph with a green tint in the center. The photograph is of a path through a heavily wooded area. Above the photograph is "the learning place" and below is "a...
On the Planet Earth, September, 1969 Jellyroll Press ~ printer 1969 Poster is printed in red and mimics the Declaration of Independence. The top has "On the Planet, Earth, September,1969/ The unanimous Declaration of Interdependence." Below is text that explains...	(Chinese man and woman) Jay Kinney ~ artist 1980 Poster has an image in the center of a man embracing a woman. The man has on no pants, a green shirt and a green hat with a red star. The woman has long hair in a braid, green pants and an open...
Second Annual San Francisco Children's Film Festival Jaune-Paul Christophe ~ artist, SOMAR Serigraphics ~ printer c. 1980 Poster has a drawing in the center with a yellow ribbon banner at the top and left side. The drawing depicts hills with a smiling sun rising between them. There is a small path leading towards...	Japantown Art and Media Workshop: Come Japantown Art & Media Workshop ~ printer n.d. Poster has an image of a human facewith both hands raised below its chin. Between the arms is "Come" in yellow and purple lettering. The left side has two white strips that read, "Tel.. 567-9851...